Miss America and Wausau Native Discusses Nuclear Energy

Thursday, April 20th, 2023 -- 12:00 PM

(Caitlin Shuda, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin) Miss America Grace Stanke can imagine an Earth Day where we power our alarm clocks, hair dryers, cars, laptops, cellphones and televisions with energy that’s safe, effective, reliable and does not harm the environment.

According to Caitlin Shuda with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, those renewable energy options could include wind, geothermal, hydropower or solar power. Stanke, a Wausau native who was named Miss Wisconsin in June before being crowned Miss America in December, argues nuclear energy is another top choice.

It’s what she has been promoting all across the country in her role as Miss America as she simultaneously works toward her degree to become a nuclear engineer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It's also an option that faces opposition from groups like Greenpeace, a global organization that focuses on environmental problems and solutions.

Efforts like electric vehicles are a step in the right direction, Stanke said, but consumers need to know where the products they buy and consume are being produced and how they affect the Earth. It's a concern that has grown over the last 60 years, both in the United States and across the globe.

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